The Moore XL Data System comprises electronics and software available from Moore Business Forms, Inc. of Lake Forest, Ill., which pre-processes job information prior to imaging of individual documents. The processing includes the preloading of images, the reading of variable data, web synchronization, and other functions. The XL Data System is useful with a wide variety of print engines, such as a MIDAX printer available from Moore Business Forms, Inc., a Xeikon printer, and other high speed printers using either electrostatic, ink jet or other conventional imaging technologies. A conventional XL Data System, as well as various improvements thereof such as shown in U.S. applications Ser. Nos. 08/709,848 filed Sep. 10, 1996 and 08/500,011 filed Jul. 10, 1995 (the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein) are extremely effective. However, they, like other conventional control systems, typically are capable of operating so that printers print at a maximum speed of about 300 feet per minute, but certainly not more than about 500 feet per minute. The XL Data System, and other conventional systems, also have limitations in the speed of printing graphics, available colors, there are limitations on how much variable information can be provided at particular speeds.
According to the present invention a next generation of control system (to replace the XL Data System) is provided which greatly enhances functionality and capabilities. The system and method according to the present invention are capable of effecting printing of whole documents at a time, rather than page by page (necessary in known prior art systems). In conventional systems, including the XL Data System, each page has to be printed separately, and formatted separately, which restricted the speed of the process. That is all the information to be printed had to be formatted before hand to include variable and fixed information. Each formatted page was then sent through a raster image processor (RIP) and then on to a print engine where it was printed as a page. That is each page of the document had to be formatted separately.
According to the present invention a system and method are provided to effect a whole document, rather than page by page, printing by providing a data stream with a record layout. The record layout includes "tags" or data field codes while the data stream contains the information to be printed. These two sets of information are sent to the printer in parallel. The strings of information need only be provided once even if they are to be printed in several places within the document. The data field codes determine where in the document the strings will be printed, and the RIP operation is done in real time as the data flows to the printer.
The printer contains a page layout which has the data fields to be printed "tagged" with codes. When the data system tells the printer to print a particular area of a page of a document it sees the "tag" (data field code) in the page layout which corresponds to the "tag" in the record layout, and prints the data that is designated by that tag or data field code.
The data field code or "tag" is a code that designates a group of bytes in the data stream. For example the data field code--Name--will tell the page layout in the printer that characters X to Y (e.g. 10 to 33) of a data record are to be printed in the data field with the data field code--Name--.
In the control system according to the present invention, there is provided an independent, multiple input, self-contained registration controller. The registration controller relieves the RIPs of all registration functions. The RIPs are constructed to print not only from a top of form signal but along with a communications block from the data system through the registration controller. The communications block will tell the RIP which form number, within the RIP's data buffer to print at the next TOF. This allows the data system to request the RIP to print any form that has been transferred to the RIP. After the RIP has printed the requested form, the RIP will send a communication block back to the data system through the registration controller indicating that the form requested indeed has been printed.
At least one smart junction box will typically be used with the registration controller to condition sense mark, encoder, bar code, or like signals to be fed to the registration controller. "Conditioning" means that the signals are stabilized and transformed to the proper voltage and duration pulse that can be used by the registration controller to determine when to signal the start of printing. The registration controller has one or more network hubs (distribution points), with up to eight junction boxes connected to it. The registration controller hubs can also be connected together. This allows the system to be programmed so that any of the junction boxes can be used for the system master, and also means that any one junction box can be used to register any number of print engines.
The registration controller will communicate with a data system for providing a data stream, which a high speed serial link, such as a 100 based Ethernet link, or an RS 232, RS 422, RS 485, or the like, depending upon the speed required for any particular situation. The data system will use this link to send form lag, form size, and print request blocks to the registration controller, and it will also receive printed form verification back from the RIPs.
Typically the registration controller will have a remote terminal (preferably PC based) connected to it by a high speed serial link which will be used for a user interface to program the registration controller, and can double as a remote operator control box. The registration controller will also provide simple press functions such as MICR, TOF, and batch counting.
The registration controller hub will automatically keep track of multiple web form lag commands. To maintain form lag the registration controller constantly monitors each print engine's TOF in relationship with each master heartbeat. For example for every master heartbeat a TOF should occur. When that TOF occurs, a print current form number is sent out to the RIP. If no TOF occurs until the next system heartbeat, the print request sent to the RIP will have a -1 added to it. If two TOFs occur during a system heartbeat the second TOF will be tagged with a +1 to the form number. Once a form has been printed by the RIP, that RIP will communicate with the data system, through the registration controller, that it indeed has printed the specific form number. Utilizing the system and method according to the invention the actual print speed of the print engines (assuming that they are capable of such a print speed), and that appropriate paper transport mechanisms are provided to support that speed) may print at speeds of greater than 500 feet per minute, e.g. over 600 feet per minute, in fact over 800 feet per minute, and up to about 1,000 feet per minute. The system according to the invention has the capability to manipulate and transfer data (throughput) at ten Mbytes per second. This translates into a transfer rate of approximately 92,000 characters per second at up to 1,000 feet per minute to up to six controllers, or 360,000 characters per second at up to 300 feet per minute to up to six controllers.
According to the method and system of the present invention, graphic elements can be printed at the same speed as data. Graphic elements can be either variable or fixed and, since they are transferred in the same manner as data and processed by the RIP "on the fly" (in real time), they can be printed at the same speed as the data. Any of the graphic elements can be printed in any color, with up to 256 gray levels per color.
According to one aspect of the present invention a system for generating high speed variable information printed multiple page documents is provided. The system comprises the following components: A data system for providing a data stream. A registration controller connected to the data system through a high speed serial link, the registration controller providing all registration functions for printing documents. A print engine. A raster image processor connected to the registration controller, and connected to the print engine for controlling the print engine to print documents. A remote terminal (e.g. PC) connected to the registration controller to provide a user interface to the registration controller and a remote operator control. And, a smart junction box connected to the registration controller for bringing in and conditioning one or more of encoder, sense mark, bar code, or other signals and transmitting them to the registration controller.
The data system has the capability to manipulate and transfer data in the data stream at at least eight Mbytes per second (e.g. up to about ten Mbytes per second). The data includes, transmitted in parallel, a record layout including data field codes, and the print engine has associated therewith a page layout with data fields to be printed tagged with codes. This means that the data field codes tell the data system, the raster image processor, and/or the print engine where to print strings of information in a document, the strings only being provided once even if printed in multiple places within a document. Data flows in the data stream to the print engine as the raster image processor functions in real time. Preferably a plurality of raster image processors are provided connected to the registration controller, each raster image processor capable of printing a response to either the data stream or a top of form signal.
According to another aspect of the present invention a method of printing multiple page documents as in a print engine having associated therewith a page layout with data fields to be printed tagged with codes, and a raster image processor, is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) Providing a data stream including a record layout including data field codes which provide information to the print engine through the raster image processor so that it can be determined where to print strings of variable information in a document, the strings only being provided once even if printed multiple places within a document. And, (b) operating the raster image processor in real time as the data flows to the print engine.
The print engine is preferably capable of print speeds of at least about 600 or 800 feet per minute (e.g. about 1000 feet per minute), and steps (a) and (b) may be practiced to provide data at a transfer rate of at least about 73,000 characters per second (e.g. about 92,000 characters per second). Steps (a) and (b) may be practiced to provide as part of the data stream variable or fixed graphic elements printed at the same speed as the rest of the data stream, and to print in any color with up to 256 gray levels per color. The method may be practiced utilizing a registration controller which assumes all registration functions, and a plurality of raster image processors may be provided, each capable of printing in response to either the data stream or a top of form signal, and there may be the further step (c) of connecting the data stream to the registration controller through a high speed serial link so that the data stream passes through the registration controller to the raster image processors.
According to another aspect of the invention a system for printing multiple page documents is provided comprising the following components: A print engine capable of printing at speeds of at least 300 feet per minute and having associated therewith a page layout with data fields to be printed tagged with codes. A raster image processor connected to the print engine for providing at least partial print control of the print engine. Means for providing a data stream including a record layout including data field codes which provide information to the print engine through the raster image processor so that it can be determined where to print strings of variable information in a document, the strings only being provided once even if printed multiple places within a document And, means for operating the raster image processor in real time as the data flows to the print engine. A plurality of raster image processors may be provided, each capable of printing in response to either the data stream or a top of form signal; and further a registration controller may be provided which assumes all registration functions, and is connected to the raster image processors.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an enhanced capability method and system for generating high speed variable information printed multiple page documents. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention and from the appended claims.